Heartbreak and hope

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Today we visited Auschwitz-Birkenau in the nearby town of Oswechiem (sp). The tours were well done and very informative, and I am forever grateful for having the opportunity to visit the sites. The tour only covers a fraction of the information and research completed and currently being compiled about the site of one of the biggest mass extermination camps in our history. You can't help but become emotional when you walk into a room with 2 tons of human hair - hair that is from actual prisoners of the camp - its heartbreaking the atrocities that were committed there. My hope is that the millions who visit the concentration camps will take their visits to heart and not allow for injustice in their own lives.

Yesterday we footed it over to the Jewish Ghetto, where Jewish people were forcibly relocated during the course of the Nazi regime. In the ghetto there is still a small portion of the wall available to be seen as well as some still active synagogues in the area. We also saw (though have to admit we are a bit museum'd out so didn't go in) Schindler's factory.

This is something on my life list and despite my tired feet and cranky nature, today was a good day. Yesterday we visited the Old Town and Wawel Castle. Cool castle with an underground labyrinth only a few hundred feet long - but which you brave the anger of the dragon ! The dragon's lair was fun and led right over to the river where it was nice to stop for a cold coke.

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